I couldn’t move, couldn’t cast anything, but I could move things around in my inventory. I had a preselected hotlist that didn’t have anything in it in case this was a magical attack, like what had happened on the third floor. It was too late to remove our equipped items.
A massive wheel appeared in the center lobby of the apartment complex, showing nine symbols. I didn’t understand or recognize any of the characters. There was a squiggle, a lightning bolt, an ox thing, some bubbles, more. The wheel spun and spun, then slowed.
“Hold on!” I called. “Get ready!”
It landed on the image of the ox.
A massive, earth-shattering clang sounded, like it had come from the world’s biggest gong. The ground shook.
A second wheel appeared, this one floating right in front of me. Donut had it as well, as did Jamal. Samantha was suddenly there, also with a wheel in front of her. What the hell? Samantha wasn’t supposed to be in the truck at all.
“Samantha!” I shouted. “Where did you come from?”
This new wheel was mostly green with a small sliver of red. I recognized what this meant. If the arrow landed in the green, we were safe from the attack. If it landed in the red, we would be hit.
“Carl!” Donut called. “Carl, I’m scared.”
“Hold on, hold on,” I said as the second set of wheels spun. I watched in horror as they slowed and slowed. It landed on green for Donut. It landed on green for Jamal. It landed on green for Samantha.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Red.
System Message: The first attack has been selected. The wheel has landed on the Beast of Burden Sin.
Transformation.
Ah, darn it all. I was hoping to save this one for later when it would be permanent. Oh well. Saves on processing power, I guess.
As this is one of the first four attacks, the effects will be temporary. For crawlers, the effects will last until you pass through a stairwell. For NPCs and everyone else, the effects will last 6 hours.
You have been hit with a level 20Transformationspell!
Rolling now for the effect. Change selected.
I fell unconscious. I woke back up maybe five seconds later.
Oh yes, Carl. Oh yes. We can work with this.
I felt strange. What was going on? I had slipped down in my seat. Had I gotten smaller? I could suddenly smell everything. Jamal, Donut. The frozen chicken patties in the freezer. They smelled goddamned delicious.
Warning: As a quadruped, several items have been unequipped. These items have been added to your inventory and may not be reequipped while you’re considered a quadruped. Certain items remain equipped but their effects have changed based on your current form. Please see your inventory for details.
Some of your stats have been temporarily altered based on your new form. Please see the stats menu for details.
A new menu has been added to your interface. Quadruped actions.
Warning: You seriously haven’t cured yourself of Slugpox yet?Really?
Race starts in 2 minutes.
Donut hissed, her hair all poofed out, arm up, ready to claw me. Only Donut had grown huge, much bigger than myself.
“Ooohhh, Carl,” Samantha said. “I like this even more than the kangaroo! Freaky. Can I pet you?”
I barked back at her.
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